


Love On Ice

by Hils



Series: Tumblr Fics and Prompt Fills [9]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-16
Updated: 2016-05-16
Packaged: 2018-06-08 21:56:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6875182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hils/pseuds/Hils
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He can do this. He needs to do this. For Bitty.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love On Ice

Jack has gone through every possible scenario dozens of times, now. He’s planned, strategized, replanned and come up with alternative plans. He knows Bitty would chirp him so much if he knew just how much thought Jack’s put into this one night but it has to be right. 

No, it has to be _perfect_.

He runs through the everything again in his head, like he’s watching tape, except reviewing hockey is usually relaxing and right now he kind of wants to throw up he’s so nervous. 

Bitty, of course, picks up on Jack’s nerves right away. He knows Jack better than Jack knows himself a lot of the time. 

He lays a gentle hand on Jack’s arm and slowly they come to a stop on the ice. There’s such warmth and concern in his eyes that Jack almost wants to throw every single plan out of the window and just do something rash and impulsive for once. 

“Jack, sweetheart, are you okay?” Bitty asks softly and it’s that voice that stops Jack, calms him. He’s still amazed that just a few words from Bitty can have such an effect on him, even after all this time. 

He can do this. He needs to do this. For Bitty. 

He forces what he hopes resembles a genuine smile onto his face and gives Bitty’s hand a squeeze. “I’m fine. Come on, we’re wasting valuable ice time.”

Bitty doesn’t look entirely convinced but he lets Jack tug him until they’re skating again.

“Just like old times, eh?” He knows it’s inane small talk but he just needs a moment, maybe a couple of moments, to get his head in the right space. 

“At least it’s not 5am this time,” Bitty replies with a grin. “And if you’re going to give me some extra checking practice, Mr Zimmermann, I’d appreciate some warning. I’m kind of fond of these pants.”

Jack can’t help but grin back. “I think advance warning sort of goes against the point of checking. The other teams aren’t going to wave and say ‘hey, Bittle, I’m going to check you now if that’s okay with you’.”

Bitty laughs and just like that Jack’s heart feels a hundred times lighter and he wonders why he was ever nervous about doing this. It’s Bitty, His Bitty. 

When they’d first arrived that evening it had felt strange being back on the Samwell rink. Weird, but also strangely comfortable. Like putting on an old jersey. Everywhere he’d looked there had been reminders of his time here, echoes of old voices, ghosts of his past. And then there was Bitty. Bitty who is still at his side. Bitty whose hand is warm in his. Bitty who Jack can’t imagine not being in his life. 

And just like that everything slots into place. 

“Hey,” he says and tugs Bitty into the centre of the rink. “Remember when I got hazed here. You were so worried I was going to get cold. I think that was when I knew. Or maybe I knew before that but that’s when I finally let myself admit how I felt about you.”

Bitty’s cheeks flush an adorable shade of red and he ducks his head. Jack feels a warmth spread through his chest. It’s the same warmth he feels whenever Bitty looks at him and he knows that this is right. That they are right.

He drops down to one knee.

“Bit- Eric. I love you. I can’t imagine my life without you in it.” His hand closes around the item he’s been carrying around in his pocket all evening and he pulls it out. It’s strange how much lighter it feels now that he’s committed to doing this. Earlier it had felt like the weight of it might tip him over on the ice. 

He presents it to Bitty, thankful that his hand isn’t shaking. One of his plans had involved what to do if his hands shook so badly he dropped it and he’d really rather not have put that one into play. 

Bitty stares at the puck in Jack’s hand, at the hole Jack had slowly and carefully cut out of the middle of it so there was room for the ring. His eyes are wide and his fingers are trembling as they reach out but stop just short of touching. 

“Jack…”

Bitty’s voice is thick with emotion, and Jack thought he’d prepared for this but hearing it, seeing the tears start to well up in Bitty’s eyes, he realises he’s not prepared at all. 

“You’re not gonna cry, are you?” he tries to keep his tone light. “Because if you do I might start too and that’s just going to be unpleasant for everyone.”

It’s an ongoing joke between them about how messily Jack cries when they watch sad movies together. He’d gone through nearly a whole box of tissues when they’d watched Moulin Rouge. Tears and snot everywhere. 

Bitty laughs at that but at the same time a tear rolls down his cheek and Jack is undone. He wants nothing more than to toss the puck and the ring onto the ice and hold Bitty in his arms. 

“So were you going to ask me something?” Bitty asks with a watery smile and Jack mentally kicks himself, so caught up in what he was doing that he forgot what he was supposed to be asking.

“Yes,” he says firmly. “Eric Bittle, will you marry me?”

The puck and ring do end up on the ice. So does Jack, when Bitty throws himself into his arms. 

“Of course I’ll marry you.”

By this point Jack has nearly lost all feeling in his knee from kneeling for so long, and his back is probably going to be sore in the morning from where he hits the ice.

He’s never been happier.

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt from tiptoe39 was "You're not gonna cry, are you?"


End file.
